Portable ultrasound apparatus, portable ultrasound system and diagnosing method using ultrasound

ABSTRACT

Provided are a portable ultrasound apparatus, a portable ultrasound system, and an ultrasound diagnosis method performed by using the portable ultrasound apparatus. The portable ultrasound apparatus includes at least two probes having different specifications; a first display unit for displaying an ultrasound image; and a second display unit for displaying a control screen.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No.10-2013-0036438, filed on Apr. 3, 2013, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for diagnosing atarget object by using a portable ultrasound apparatus and a portableultrasound system.

2. Description of the Related Art

An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus delivers an ultrasound signal (ingeneral, equal to or greater than 20 kHz) to a predetermined internalpart of a target object by using a probe, and obtains an image of theinternal part of the target object by using information of a reflectedecho signal. In particular, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is usedfor medical purposes including detection of foreign materials in thetarget object, damage measurement and observation, or the like. Comparedto X-rays, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is stable, displays animage in real-time, and is safe without a risk of radioactivity, so thatthe ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is widely used with an imagediagnosis apparatus.

An image that is obtained by using the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus(hereinafter, referred to as an ‘ultrasound image’) may be displayed onthe ultrasound diagnosis apparatus or may be stored in a storage mediumand then may be displayed on another image display apparatus. Forexample, the ultrasound image may be reduced and then may be displayedon a screen of a mobile phone, a portable electronic device, a personaldigital assistant (PDA), a tablet personal computer (PC), or the like.

Since an ultrasound apparatus according to the related art is large andheavy, the ultrasound apparatus is mainly fixed and used in a specificplace. However, in an emergency room or an operating room in which anultrasound diagnosis is performed, the ultrasound apparatus has to bemoved whenever required. In order to solve this problem, a smallultrasound apparatus has been developed but a weight of the smallultrasound apparatus is not light enough for easily portability. Thus,there is a demand for an ultrasound apparatus that may be portable andthat may use various probes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a portable ultrasound apparatus and aportable ultrasound system capable of diagnosing a target object withoutseparately having various probes.

The present invention also provides a diagnosing method performed byusing the portable ultrasound apparatus and the portable ultrasoundsystem.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided aportable ultrasound apparatus including at least two probes havingdifferent specifications; a first display unit for displaying anultrasound image that is generated based on ultrasound data received byone of the at least two probes; and a second display unit for displayinga control screen so as to control at least one of the ultrasound dataand the ultrasound image.

Each of the at least two probes may include a linear array-typetransducer, a convex array-type transducer, or a phased array-typetransducer.

Each of the specifications may include at least one of a frequency of anultrasound signal to be transmitted by each of the at least two probes,a bandwidth of the ultrasound signal, a total number of channels of eachof the at least two probes, and a resolution of each of the at least twoprobes.

The first display unit and the second display unit may receive a touchinput by a user.

The portable ultrasound apparatus may further include at least onebutton that is matched with a function related to an ultrasounddiagnosis.

The function may be matched with the at least one button according to auser input.

The portable ultrasound apparatus may further include a sensing unit fordetecting an activated probe from among the at least two probes.

The sensing unit may include at least one of a gyro sensor, anacceleration sensor, and a tilt sensor.

The portable ultrasound apparatus may further include an activationdisplay unit for displaying an activated probe from among the at leasttwo probes.

The portable ultrasound apparatus may further include a power unit thatsupplies power to the at least two probes, the first display unit, andthe second display unit, and that is charged by wireless electric powerreceived from an external power source.

The portable ultrasound apparatus may further include a power unit thatsupplies wireless electric power received from an external power sourceto the at least two probes, the first display unit, and the seconddisplay unit.

The first display unit and the second display unit may rotate and maydisplay the ultrasound image and the control screen, based on anactivated probe from among the at least two probes.

The first display unit and the second display unit may adjust at leastone of a position and a size of the ultrasound image and the controlscreen based on a user input, and then may display the ultrasound imageand the control screen.

The first display unit may display the control screen that is displayedby the second display unit, based on a user input of transition of adisplayed screen.

The first display unit may display the ultrasound image that isdisplayed by the first display unit, based on a user input of transitionof a displayed screen.

The first display unit and the second display unit may detect a positionon one display unit from among the first display unit and the seconddisplay unit, based on a user input of a corresponding position on theother display unit from among the first display unit and the seconddisplay unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan ultrasound diagnosis method performed by using a portable ultrasoundapparatus including at least two probes having different specifications,the ultrasound diagnosis method including operations of displaying anultrasound image on a first display unit, wherein the ultrasound imageis generated based on ultrasound data received by one of the at leasttwo probes; and displaying a control screen on a second display unit,wherein the control screen controls at least one of the ultrasound dataand the ultrasound image.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provideda portable ultrasound system including at least two probes havingdifferent specifications; a digital beamformer for focusing anultrasound signal transmitted or received by each of the at least twoprobes; a processor for generating ultrasound data based on theultrasound signal; an image processing unit for generating an ultrasoundimage based on the ultrasound data; a first display unit for displayingthe ultrasound image; and a second display unit for displaying a controlscreen so as to control at least one of the ultrasound data and theultrasound image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodimentsthereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portable ultrasoundapparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates six views of the portable ultrasound apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of the portableultrasound apparatus, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of the portableultrasound apparatus, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an environment in which a user diagnoses a targetobject by using the portable ultrasound apparatus according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which a screen is rotated according toan activated probe and then is displayed, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which a size and position of adisplayed image are adjusted, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which an image that is displayed on adisplay unit is displayed on another display unit based on a user input,according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates an example in which a position on another displayunit is detected, based on a user input with respect to a correspondingposition on a display unit, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an ultrasound diagnosis method performed byusing the portable ultrasound apparatus, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

All terms including descriptive or technical terms which are used hereinshould be construed as having meanings that are obvious to one ofordinary skill in the art. However, the terms may have differentmeanings according to an intention of one of ordinary skill in the art,precedent cases, or the appearance of new technologies. Also, some termsmay be arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, themeaning of the selected terms will be described in detail in thedetailed description of the invention. Thus, the terms used herein haveto be defined based on the meaning of the terms together with thedescription throughout the specification.

Also, when a part “includes” or “comprises” an element, unless there isa particular description contrary thereto, the part can further includeother elements, not excluding the other elements. In the followingdescription, terms such as “unit” and “module” indicate a unit forprocessing at least one function or operation, wherein the unit and theblock may be embodied as hardware or software or embodied by combininghardware and software.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail byexplaining exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to theattached drawings in which reference numerals indicate structuralelements.

Expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list ofelements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify theindividual elements of the list.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Asillustrated in FIG. 1, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayinclude, but is not limited to, at least two probes 112 and 114, and atleast two display units 122 and 124. That is, in another embodiment, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 may include at least three probes andat least three display units. Also, positions or sizes of portions atwhich the probes 112 and 114 and the display units 122 and 124 arearranged are not limited to the present embodiment.

The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 sends an ultrasound signal to atarget object via the probes 112 and 114, and obtains ultrasound data byanalyzing an echo signal reflected from the target object. The probes112 and 114 may have different specifications, for example, the probes112 and 114 may be different from each other in an array form oftransducers, a frequency of an ultrasound signal, or the like. Further,the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may generate an ultrasound imagefrom the ultrasound data and may display the ultrasound image on thedisplay units 122 and 124. Also, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100may control at least one of the ultrasound data and the ultrasoundimage, based on a user input. That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus100 may adjust a gain value of the ultrasound data or may adjust a poweror a dynamic range of the ultrasound signal, based on the user input.Further, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may adjust thebrightness, line density, colour, or the like of the ultrasound image,based on a user input.

In order to control at least one of the ultrasound data and theultrasound image, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may display acontrol screen on the display units 122 and 124. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 displays the ultrasoundimage on the display unit 122 and displays a control screen to display amoving picture of ultrasound images on the display unit 124. However, aswill be described later with reference to FIG. 3, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may display various types of information aswell as the ultrasound image and the control screen.

According to the present embodiment, the portable ultrasound apparatus100 may diagnose the target object by using the probes 112 and 114having different specifications, so that the portability and diagnosisefficiency in an ultrasound diagnosis may be improved.

FIG. 2 illustrates six views of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100.In FIG. 2, a front view illustrates the display unit 122 that displaysan ultrasound image, a left-side view and a right-side view of theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 illustrate a user input unit 140including a plurality of buttons and an activation display unit 170,respectively. Also, a plane view and a bottom view of the portableultrasound apparatus 100 illustrate the probe 112 (also referred to asthe first probe 112) including a linear array-type transducer and theprobe 114 (also referred to as the second probe 114) including a convexarray-type transducer, respectively. A rear view of the portableultrasound apparatus 100 illustrates the display unit 124 that displaysa control screen.

However, a form and structure of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be changed, thus, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may include at least two probes and at least two displayunits.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of the portableultrasound apparatus 100, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. In addition to the aforementioned features of the portableultrasound apparatus 100, which are described with reference to FIGS. 1and 2, FIGS. 3 and 4 show detailed structures of the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may include an obtaining unit 110, a display unit 120, animage processing unit 130, the user input unit 140, and a control unit150. In addition to the structure shown in FIG. 3, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may further include general-use elements.

The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 outputs an ultrasound image thatis generated by scanning a target object, and thus, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 diagnoses the target object. That is, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 receives an echo signal from thetarget object via the obtaining unit 110 including the probes 112 and114, generates an ultrasound image from ultrasound data that isprocessed by the image processing unit 130, and displays the ultrasoundimage on the display unit 120. The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayreceive various types of user inputs via the user input unit 140 andthen may control the ultrasound data or the ultrasound image.

The ultrasound image that is generated by the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may include not only a two-dimensional (2D) image showinga cross-section of the target object but may also includethree-dimensional (3D) volume data. Also, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may generate not only the ultrasound image in a gray scalethat is obtained by scanning the target object according to an amplitudemode (hereinafter, the A mode), a brightness mode (hereinafter, the Bmode), and a motion mode (hereinafter, the M mode) but may also generatea Doppler image showing movement of the target object, by using colourinformation in Doppler data. The Doppler image generated by the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may include at least one of a blood flowDoppler image (also called ‘colour Doppler image’) showing blood flowand a tissue Doppler image showing movement of tissue.

The obtaining unit 110 obtains the ultrasound data of the target object.That is, as described above, the obtaining unit 110 may scan the targetobject and may obtain the ultrasound data based on an echo signal thatis received from the target object. In more detail, as illustrated inFIG. 3, the obtaining unit 110 may transmit an ultrasound signal to thetarget object by bringing the probes 112 and 114 close to the targetobject, and may obtain the ultrasound data from the echo signal that isreceived from the target object.

The obtaining unit 110 may include at least two probes, each having oneof various transducers including a phased array-type transducer, anannular array-type transducer, or the like, as well as the lineararray-type transducer and the convex-array type transducer that areshown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Also, while the obtaining unit 110 includes probes having the same typeof transducers, specifications of the probes may differ. For example,when the obtaining unit 110 includes two probes both having convexarray-type transducers, specifications, such as a frequency of anultrasound signal to be transmitted, a bandwidth, a total number ofchannels of a transducer, the resolution of a probe, or the like of thetwo probes may differ.

The obtaining unit 110 may include the at least two probes 112 and 114,as described above, and a transducer included in each of the probes 112and 114 may be formed of a plurality of elements (or channels). In thepresent embodiment, each of the probes 112 and 114 may randomly set anorder by which the plurality of elements transmit an ultrasound signal.That is, the ultrasound signal may be transmitted from a first elementor a last element from among the plurality of elements in each of theprobes 112 and 114, and the order of transmitting the ultrasound singlemay not be fixed to a predetermined direction and order but may bechanged via a setting operation.

For example, when each of the probes 112 and 114 includes a transducerformed of 128 elements, each of the probes 112 and 114 may transmit anultrasound signal from a first element or a 128^(th) element. That is,each of the probes 112 and 114 may transmit the ultrasound signalaccording to an order from the first element to the 128^(th) element orfrom the 128^(th) element to the first element. Accordingly, while auser holds the probes 112 and 114 and scans the target object, if theuser switches the hand that holds the probes 112 and 114, or holds theprobes 112 and 114 upside down, the probes 112 and 114 may change adirection of transmitting an ultrasound signal. Thus, the user may notneed to constantly check a direction in which the user holds the probes112 and 114, so that user convenience in a diagnosis may be improved.

The obtaining unit 110 may directly obtain the ultrasound data from thetarget object and may receive ultrasound data from an external device.That is, the obtaining unit 110 may receive the ultrasound data via awired or wireless network. For example, although not illustrated in FIG.3, the obtaining unit 110 may include a short distance communicationmodule, a mobile communication module, a wireless Internet module, orthe like, and may receive the ultrasound data from the external deviceor a server by using at least one of the aforementioned modules.

The short distance communication module indicates a module for shortdistance communication. Examples of the short distance communication mayinclude, but are not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE), ultra-wide band (UWB), ZigBee, near field communication (NFC),Wi-Fi Direct (WFD), and infrared Data Association (IrDA).

The mobile communication module exchanges a wireless signal with atleast one of a base station in a mobile communication network, theexternal device, and the server. The mobile communication module is foraccessing wireless Internet. The wireless Internet module may beembedded in the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 or may be arrangedoutside the portable ultrasound apparatus 100.

Also, the obtaining unit 110 may receive various types of data, such asan ultrasound image, and Doppler data related to the ultrasound imagefrom another device or a cloud server in a hospital server via a picturearchiving and communication system (PACS).

The display unit 120 may display and output information that isprocessed by the portable ultrasound apparatus 100. For example, thedisplay unit 120 may display the ultrasound image of the target objecton a screen of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 or may display auser interface (UI) or a graphic UI (GUI) related to function setting.Also, the display unit 120 may display the control screen for a controlof the ultrasound data or the ultrasound image.

When the display unit 120 and a touch pad to be described later form amutual layer structure and thus are formed as a touch screen, thedisplay unit 120 may be used as both an output device and an inputdevice. The display unit 120 may include at least one of a liquidcrystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display(TFT-LCD), an organic light-emitting display device, a flexible display,a three-dimensional (3D) display, and an electrophoretic display. Inanother embodiment, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may include atleast two display units 120.

The image processing unit 130 generates various types of ultrasoundimages by processing the ultrasound data obtained by the obtaining unit110. That is, the image processing unit 130 may generate ultrasoundimages according to the A mode, B mode, and C mode, and may generate notonly a cross-sectional image but may also generate a 3D ultrasound imageusing volume data. Further, the image processing unit 130 may alsogenerate a Doppler image by using Doppler data.

Further, the image processing unit 130 may generate the control screenso as to control the ultrasound image or the ultrasound data. That is,the image processing unit 130 may generate the control screen to bedisplayed on the display unit 120, by using the GUI or various graphiceffects. Also, the image processing unit 130 may generate the variousgraphic effects, such as icons, menu lists, text, or thumbnails, whichare matched with functions to control the ultrasound image or theultrasound data.

The user input unit 140 indicates a means by which a user inputs data soas to control the portable ultrasound apparatus 100. For example, theuser input unit 140 may be formed of, but is not limited to, buttons, akey pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (a touch capacitive type touch pad,a pressure resistive type touch pad, an infrared beam sensing type touchpad, a surface acoustic wave type touch pad, an integral strain gaugetype touch pad, a piezoelectric effect type touch pad, or the like), ajog wheel, a jog switch, or the like. The plurality of buttons that areshown in the left-side view and the right-side view of FIG. 2 may be anexample of the user input unit 140.

In particular, as described above, when the touch pad and the displayunit 120 form the mutual layer structure, this structure may be referredto as a touch screen. The touch screen may detect not only an actualtouch but may also detect a proximate touch. In the present embodiment,the actual touch means a case in which a pointer actually touches thetouch screen, and the proximate touch means a case in which the pointerdoes not actually touch the touch screen but approaches the touch screenby a predetermined distance. In the present embodiment, the pointerindicates a tool to actually touch or proximately touch a predeterminedportion of a displayed screen. An example of the tool includes a styluspen, a finger of the user, or the like. Although not illustrated, inorder to detect the actual touch or the proximate touch on the touchscreen, the touch screen may internally or externally have varioussensors. An example of the sensor to detect the actual touch or theproximate touch on the touch screen may include a tactile sensor. Thetactile sensor detects a contact of a specific object by at least asmuch as a person can detect. The tactile sensor may detect various typesof information, such as the roughness of a contact surface, the hardnessof the contact object, the temperature of a contact point, or the like.

Also, another example of the sensor to detect the actual touch or theproximate touch on the touch screen may include a proximity sensor. Theproximity sensor detects the existence of an object that approaches apredetermined detection surface or that exists nearby, by using a forceof an electro-magnetic field or infrared rays, without using amechanical contact. Examples of the proximity sensor include atransmission-type photoelectric sensor, a direction reflection-typephotoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection-type photoelectric sensor, ahigh frequency oscillation-type proximity sensor, a capacity-typeproximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, an infrared-typeproximity sensor, or the like.

The user input that is received by the user input unit 140 may bevarious ones. For example, the user input unit 140 may include varioustypes of user input including a tap input, a touch & hold input, a draginput, a drag & drop input, a flick input, a pinching input, or thelike.

When the user input unit 140 includes a plurality of buttons, each ofthe plurality of buttons may be matched with various functions tocontrol the portable ultrasound apparatus 100. Here, the functions ofthe buttons may be previously matched with default values, respectively,and may be changed according to settings by the user. That is, for userconvenience, the user may match user-desired functions with the buttons,respectively, so that convenience of user manipulation of the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may be improved.

The control unit 150 controls elements included in the portableultrasound apparatus 100. For example, the control unit 150 may transmitthe ultrasound data that is obtained by the obtaining unit 110 and thenmay control the image processing unit 130 to generate the ultrasoundimage, or may control the display unit 120 to display the ultrasoundimage that is generated by the image processing unit 130.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of the portableultrasound apparatus 100, according to another embodiment of the presentinvention. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 further includes elements, as well as the elements thatare described with reference to FIG. 3. In this regard, detaileddescriptions, which are the same as the aforementioned ones of FIG. 3,are omitted.

In the present embodiment, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayfurther include a sensing unit 160, the activation display unit 170, adigital beamformer 180, and a power unit 190, as well as the obtainingunit 110, the display unit 120, the image processing unit 130, and thecontrol unit 150 that are described with reference to FIG. 3. However,the structure of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 is not limited tothe elements shown in FIG. 4, and thus, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may further include other elements as well as theaforementioned elements. Also, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayfurther include elements other than the aforementioned elements and thenmay form a portable ultrasound system.

The sensing unit 160 detects an activated probe. That is, the sensingunit 160 detects, among at least two probes included in the obtainingunit 110, a currently-activated probe that is to scan a target object.In more detail, one probe from among the at least two probes included inthe portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may transmit an ultrasound signalto the target object, and the sensing unit 160 may detect the one probethat is currently activated.

The sensing unit 160 may detect the activated probe by using variousphysical/electrical methods. For example, the sensing unit 160 maydetect the probe that faces in a downward direction so as to diagnosethe target object, by using at least one of a gyro sensor, anacceleration sensor, a tilt sensor, and a gravity sensor. In anotherexample, the sensing unit 160 may detect the activated probe in a mannerthat the sensing unit 160 recognizes which probe directly contacts thetarget object, by sensing an electrical signal. The sensing unit 160 maydetect the activated probe by using various methods other than theaforementioned examples.

The activation display unit 170 displays the activated probe. That is,the activation display unit 170 may display the activated probe that isdetected by the sensing unit 160, by using a visual effect. For example,the activation display unit 170 may include a light-emitting diode (LED)lamp around each of the at least two probes, and when the sensing unit160 detects the activated probe, the activation display unit 170 mayapply an electrical signal to the LED lamp around the activated probe.Accordingly, a user may easily recognize which probe is currentlyactivated.

For example, referring to the left-side view and the right-side view ofFIG. 2, the activation display unit 170 may be formed around each of theat least two probes, and when the activated probe is detected, theactivation display unit 170 may emit light to show which one of the atleast two probes is activated.

The digital beamformer 180 focuses an ultrasound signal of a probeincluded in the obtaining unit 110, and adjusts focusing of an echosignal. That is, the digital beamformer 180 may apply a delay time tothe ultrasound signal that is transmitted by the probe and thus mayfocus a beam of the ultrasound signal, or may adjust dynamic focusing ofthe echo signal that is reflected from the target object.

The digital beamformer 180 may be formed to correspond to each of the atleast two probes that are included in the obtaining unit 110. That is,the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may include digital beamformers180 that correspond to the at least two probes, respectively.Alternatively, in another embodiment, the portable ultrasound apparatus100 may include one digital beamformer 180 that commonly controls the atleast two probes. In other words, the digital beamformer 180 may controlone corresponding probe or may commonly control the at least two probes.

The power unit 190 supplies power to the portable ultrasound apparatus100 and the elements that are included in the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100. That is, the power unit 190 may supply power to thestructures shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, so as to operate the portableultrasound apparatus 100.

The power unit 190 may be charged in a wired or wireless manner. Thatis, the power unit 190 may be charged by being connected to an externalpower source in a wired manner by using a line, or may be charged bywirelessly receiving power from an external power source. Regarding thewireless charging, the power unit 190 may be supplied the power by usingvarious short distance power transmission methods, such as wirelesscharging using electromagnetic induction, wireless charging usingmagnetic resonance, or the like, and then may supply power to theelements included in the portable ultrasound apparatus 100.

In another embodiment, the power unit 190 may store the power receivedfrom the external power source and then may supply the power, or maysupply wireless power without a charge procedure. That is, the powerunit 190 may directly transmit wireless electricity (i.e., wirelesspower) that is received from the external power source to the elementsin the portable ultrasound apparatus 100, so that the power unit 190 mayoperate the portable ultrasound apparatus 100. By doing so, in thepresent embodiment, a physical space for charging the power unit 190 maybe reduced, so that a weight and volume of the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may be decreased.

As described above, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may includethe at least two probes having different specifications, so that theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 may efficiently diagnose the targetobject. Further, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may include atleast two display units and thus may simultaneously display theultrasound image and a control screen related to the ultrasound image.Accordingly, the user may adjust the portable ultrasound apparatus 100so as to obtain a diagnosis result that shows the target object in abest way.

According to the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 and the portableultrasound system, not only user convenience in a diagnosis but also theexactness and efficiency of the diagnosis may be improved.

FIG. 5 illustrates an environment in which a user 210 diagnoses a targetobject 220 by using the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 according toan embodiment of the present invention.

The user 210 of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 brings theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 close to the target object 220 andthen scans the target object 220. The portable ultrasound apparatus 100may transmit an ultrasound signal to the target object 220, may generatean ultrasound image 230 by processing a reflected echo signal, and maydisplay the ultrasound image 230.

The user 210 of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may be a medicalexpert including, but is not limited to, a doctor, a nurse, a clinicalpathologist, and a medical image expert. Also, the target object 220 maybe a part of a human body and may be organs, such as the heart, thebrain, the stomach, or the like, or an unborn child. However, the targetobject 220 is not limited to the shown part of the human body and thusmay include all objects that may receive and reflect an ultrasoundsignal.

In an ultrasound apparatus according to the related art, a probe thattransmits an ultrasound signal and a display unit are separatelyarranged, such that the user 210 has to operate the probe while the user210 keeps viewing the target object 220. Since a gaze of the user 210has to be maintained on the display unit while the user 210 moves theprobe so as to diagnose the target subject 220, the efficiency in adiagnosis deteriorates.

However, in the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 according to thepresent embodiment, a display unit that displays the ultrasound image230 is adjacent to the probe that transmits the ultrasound signal to thetarget subject 220. That is, the user 210 may adjust a position at whichthe probe scans the target subject 220 and may simultaneously check theultrasound image 230. Accordingly, the user 210 of the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may exactly diagnose the target subject 220.

FIGS. 6 through 9 illustrate examples in which the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 displays an ultrasound image and a control signal on adisplay unit, according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which a screen is rotated according toan activated probe and then is displayed, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. As described above, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may include the at least two probes 112 and 114 and the atleast two display units 122 and 124.

First, a left side in FIG. 6 is described. The portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 displays an ultrasound image of a scanned target object onthe display unit 122 (also referred to as the first display unit 122).The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 scans the target object by using,from among two probes 112 and 114, the probe 114 that includes theconvex array-type transducer.

As described above with reference to FIG. 4, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may detect the activated probe 114 that scans the targetobject. In order to detect the activated probe 114, as described withreference to FIG. 4, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may use aphysical sensor, such as the gyro sensor, the acceleration sensor, thetilt sensor, or the gravity sensor, or may use an electrical signal.

Also, in order to show the activated probe 114 to a user, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may turn on or may flicker out an activationdisplay unit 170 a that is arranged adjacent to the activated probe 114.The fact that only the activation display unit 170 a from amongactivation display units 170 a and 170 b that correspond to the probe114 is turned on may indicate a direction in which an ultrasound signalis transmitted from the probe 114.

In more detail, as described above with reference to FIG. 3, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 may transmit the ultrasound signalfrom a first element or a last element from among the plurality ofelements of the probe 114. Accordingly, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may turn on the activation display unit 170 a thatindicates the fact that the ultrasound signal is transmitted from aleftmost element of the probe 114. Similarly, when the ultrasound signalis transmitted from a rightmost element of the probe 114, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may turn on the activation display unit 170 b.

Hereinafter, a right side in FIG. 6 is described. The user of theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 scans the target object by using theprobe 112 including the linear array-type transducer. That is, asillustrated in FIG. 6 by arrows, the user of the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 rotates the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 by 180degrees and then selects the probe 112.

Accordingly, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 recognizes that aprobe to transmit an ultrasound signal is changed from the probe 114 tothe probe 112, and then detects the probe 112 as an activated probe. Asin the left side in FIG. 6, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayindicate which probe is currently activated, by turning on an activationdisplay unit 170 c or an activation display unit 170 d that are formedaround the activated probe 112.

The fact that the activation display unit 170 c is turned on may meanthat the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 leftward transmits anultrasound signal from a rightmost element of a plurality of elementsincluded in the probe 112. As described with reference to the left sidein FIG. 6, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may rightward transmitthe ultrasound signal from a left element of the probe 112 and may turnon the activation display unit 170 d.

The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may rotate and display the screen,based on an activated probe. That is, when the activated probe ischanged from the probe 114 to the probe 112, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may rotate an ultrasound image that is displayed on thefirst display unit 122 by 180 degrees.

When the user of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 uses the portableultrasound apparatus 100 having the two probes 112 and 114, the user mayneed to rotate the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 as illustrated inFIG. 6. In this regard, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may detectthe activated probe and may rotate and may display a screen according tothe activated probe.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the user 210 of the portableultrasound apparatus 100 generally positions a probe in a lowerdirection and then scans the target object 220, and thus, the screen ofthe portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may be rotated so as to allow theactivated probe 112 to be positioned in the lower direction as shown inthe right side in FIG. 6. However, a relation between the activatedprobe and a direction of the displayed screen in the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may vary according to specification and types of a probeand thus is not limited to the features of the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which a size and position of adisplayed image are adjusted, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. Referring to a left picture in FIG. 7, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 displays an ultrasound image 710 and ultrasoundimage-related information 720 on the first display unit 122.

The ultrasound image-related information 720 may include various typesof information, such as biological information (e.g., a thickness of atarget object, a length of the target object, or the like) about thetarget object displayed on the ultrasound image 710, content information(e.g., the resolution and size of the ultrasound image 710, thereproduction time of a moving picture, or the like) of the ultrasoundimage 710, or the like which are about the ultrasound image 710 and adiagnosis.

The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may receive a user input relatedto dragging the ultrasound image 710 on the first display unit 122.Also, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 receives a user inputrelated to pinching the ultrasound image-related information 720 on thefirst display unit 122.

Next, referring to a right picture in FIG. 7, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may adjust a size and a position of an image to bedisplayed on the first display unit 122, based on the received userinputs. That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may move theultrasound image 710 to a position 715 based on the user input relatedto the dragging and then may display the ultrasound image 710. Also, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 may decrease a size of the ultrasoundimage-related information 720 to a size 725 based on the user inputrelated to the pinching and may display the ultrasound image-relatedinformation 720.

That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may adjust a size and aposition of an image and a screen displayed on the display units 122and/or 124. Accordingly, a user may freely dispose a screen for adisplay by the portable ultrasound apparatus 100, so that a user-desiredscreen composition may be possible. Thus, the user may efficientlydiagnose the target object by using a menu that the user mainly uses orby using a user-familiar interface.

However, a relation between the user inputs and the adjustment of thesize and the position of the image, which is described above withreference to FIG. 7, is an example for convenience of description. Thatis, various types of user inputs may match with functions related toadjusting the size and the position of the image, and matching relationsmay be changed according to user settings.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which an image that is displayed on adisplay unit is displayed on another display unit based on a user input,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to a left picture in FIG. 8, the portable ultrasound apparatus100 displays an ultrasound image and related information 810 on thefirst display unit 122. Also, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100displays a control screen 820 on the second display unit 124 so as tocontrol ultrasound data and the ultrasound image.

Then, referring to a middle picture in FIG. 8, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 receives a user input related to pressing one of aplurality of buttons included in the user input unit 140. In thisregard, the user input related to pressing the button may be an example,thus, a display unit of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may betouched or the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may receive the userinput via another element other than the button.

Referring to a right picture in FIG. 8, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 displays the control screen 820, which is displayed on thesecond display unit 124, on the first display unit 122 (refer toreference numeral 830). The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayoverlap and display the control screen 820 on the first display unit122, or the control screen 820 in the form of a pop-up screen may bedisplayed on the first display unit 122. Alternatively, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may dim and display the ultrasound image andrelated information 810 by adjusting the brightness of the ultrasoundimage and related information 810 that are displayed on the firstdisplay unit 122, and may overlap and brightly display the controlscreen 820 on the ultrasound image and related information 810 that aredimmed.

That is, when the user wants to check the control screen 820 while theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 scans a target object, if the userturns the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 upside down so as to checkthe second display unit 124, a discontinuous change occurs in theultrasound data and the ultrasound image. Accordingly, the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may display the control screen 820, which isdisplayed on the second display unit 124, on the first display unit 122(refer to reference numeral 830), based on the user input related to ascreen switch. As a result, the user may easily check content that isdisplayed on a rear surface, without moving or turning the portableultrasound apparatus 100 upside down.

The example shown in FIG. 8 is also applied to an opposite case. Thatis, when the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 receives a user inputrelated to a screen switch while the portable ultrasound apparatus 100displays the control screen 820 on the second display unit 124, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 may display the ultrasound image andrelated information 810, which are displayed on the first display unit122, on the second display unit 124.

The first display unit 122 and the second display unit 124 may have thesame size and may be disposed at positions that correspond to eachother. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the first display unit 122and the second display unit 124 may be disposed to face each other atthe same positions on both surfaces of the portable ultrasound apparatus100. Accordingly, the user of the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 mayconveniently manipulate at least two display units of the portableultrasound apparatus 100.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example in which a position on another displayunit is detected, based on a user input with respect to a correspondingposition on a display unit, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to a left picture in FIG. 9, the portable ultrasound apparatus100 displays the ultrasound image and related information 810 on thefirst display unit 122, and displays the control screen 820 on thesecond display unit 124.

Then, referring to a middle picture in FIG. 9, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 receives a user input of selecting a position on a displayunit at an opposite side via the user input unit 140. For example, asillustrated in the middle picture in FIG. 9, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may receive a user input of pressing one of the buttonsthat are arranged at a side surface of the portable ultrasound apparatus100.

Referring to a right picture in FIG. 9, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 receives a user input of touching a position on the firstdisplay unit 122. That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100receives a user input of selecting a position 910. As described abovewith reference to the middle picture in FIG. 9, according to theembodiment involving selecting the position on the display unit at theopposite side, when the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 receives theuser input of selecting the position 910, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may select a position 920 on the second display unit 124which corresponds to the position 910.

In more detail, coordinates of the first display unit 122 previouslymatch with coordinates of the second display unit 124. That is, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 previously matches the coordinates ofthe first display unit 122 with the coordinates of the second displayunit 124 and stores them, so that the portable ultrasound apparatus 100matches a position on the first display unit 122 with a position on thesecond display unit 124. Accordingly, when the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 detects a user input of selecting the position 910 on thefirst display unit 122, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may selectthe position 920 on the second display unit 124.

That is, according to the embodiment of FIG. 8, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 displays the screen, which is displayed on the seconddisplay unit 124, on the first display unit 122, so that the portableultrasound apparatus 100 provides a screen to the user that is invisibleto the user and is displayed on a display unit at an opposite side.Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 8, according to the embodiment of FIG. 9,the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 selects a position on the seconddisplay unit 124 based on a user input of touching a position on thefirst display unit 122. Accordingly, the portable ultrasound apparatus100 may execute a function provided by another display unit at theopposite side, not a display unit that currently provides information tothe user, so that the convenience of user manipulation of the portableultrasound apparatus 100 may be improved.

However, the features of the embodiment of FIG. 9 may also be applied toan opposite case. That is, based on a user input of selecting a positionon the second display unit 124, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100may select a position on the first display unit 122 which corresponds tothe selected position.

Hereinafter, a method of performing an ultrasound diagnosis by usingelements included in the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 will now bedescribed. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an ultrasound diagnosis methodperformed by using the portable ultrasound apparatus 100, according toan embodiment of the present invention.

The flowchart of FIG. 10 is formed of operations that are processed inchronological order by the portable ultrasound apparatus 100, theobtaining unit 110, the display unit 120, the image processing unit 130,the user input unit 140, and the control unit 150 that are illustratedin FIGS. 3 and 4. Thus, hereinafter, although descriptions are omitted,if the descriptions are provided above with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4,the descriptions may also be applied to the flowchart of FIG. 10.

In operation S1010, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 obtainsultrasound data. That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 scans atarget object by using a probe and then obtains ultrasound data from thetarget object. The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may obtain theultrasound data from the target object by using one of at least twodifferent probes.

In operation S1030, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 displays anultrasound image. That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100generates the ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data obtained inoperation S1010, and displays the ultrasound image on one of the twodisplay units. The portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may display theultrasound image along with information related to the ultrasound image.

In operation S1030, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may rotate theultrasound image based on a user input or may adjust a size or aposition of the ultrasound image. Also, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may overlap and display a control screen on the displayunit that displays the ultrasound image, wherein the control screencontrols at least one of the ultrasound data and the ultrasound image.

In operation S1050, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 displays thecontrol screen. That is, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 maydisplay a GUI on a display unit that is different from the display unitin operation S1030, wherein the GUI displays several matched functionscapable of controlling the ultrasound data and the ultrasound imagerelated to an ultrasound diagnosis.

In operation S1050, as in operation S1030, the portable ultrasoundapparatus 100 may rotate the control screen or may adjust a size or aposition of the control screen and may display the control screen. Also,the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may overlap and display theultrasound image, which is displayed on the display unit in operationS1030, on the control screen, based on a user input.

According to the one or more embodiments of the present invention, theportable ultrasound apparatus 100 may include at least two probes havingdifferent specifications and thus may efficiently diagnose the targetobject. Further, the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 may include atleast two display units and thus may display the ultrasound image andmay simultaneously display the control screen related to the ultrasoundimage. Accordingly, a user may adjust the portable ultrasound apparatus100 so as to obtain a diagnosis result that shows the target objectwell.

According to the portable ultrasound apparatus 100 and the portableultrasound system, not only user convenience in an ultrasound diagnosisbut also the exactness and efficiency of the ultrasound diagnosis may beimproved

While the present invention has been particularly shown and describedwith reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understoodby those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form anddetails may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable ultrasound apparatus comprising: atleast two probes having different specifications; a first display unitfor displaying an ultrasound image that is generated based on ultrasounddata received by one of the at least two probes; and a second displayunit for displaying a control screen so as to control at least one ofthe ultrasound data and the ultrasound image.
 2. The portable ultrasoundapparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two probes comprisesa linear array-type transducer, a convex array-type transducer, or aphased array-type transducer.
 3. The portable ultrasound apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein each of the specifications comprises at least one of afrequency of an ultrasound signal to be transmitted by each of the atleast two probes, a bandwidth of the ultrasound signal, a total numberof channels of each of the at least two probes, and a resolution of eachof the at least two probes.
 4. The portable ultrasound apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the first display unit and the second display unitreceive a touch input by a user.
 5. The portable ultrasound apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising at least one button that is matched with afunction related to an ultrasound diagnosis.
 6. The portable ultrasoundapparatus of claim 5, wherein the function is matched with the at leastone button according to a user input.
 7. The portable ultrasoundapparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensing unit for detecting anactivated probe from among the at least two probes.
 8. The portableultrasound apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sensing unit comprises atleast one of a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a tilt sensor.9. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, further comprising anactivation display unit for displaying an activated probe from among theat least two probes.
 10. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1,further comprising a power unit that supplies power to the at least twoprobes, the first display unit, and the second display unit, and that ischarged by wireless electric power received from an external powersource.
 11. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a power unit that supplies wireless electric power receivedfrom an external power source to the at least two probes, the firstdisplay unit, and the second display unit.
 12. The portable ultrasoundapparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the seconddisplay unit rotate and display the ultrasound image and the controlscreen, based on an activated probe from among the at least two probes.13. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein the firstdisplay unit and the second display unit adjust at least one of aposition and a size of the ultrasound image and the control screen basedon a user input, and then display the ultrasound image and the controlscreen.
 14. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein thefirst display unit displays the control screen that is displayed by thesecond display unit, based on a user input of transition of a displayedscreen.
 15. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1, wherein thefirst display unit displays the ultrasound image that is displayed bythe first display unit, based on a user input of transition of adisplayed screen.
 16. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first display unit and the second display unit detect aposition on one display unit from among the first display unit and thesecond display unit, based on a user input of a corresponding positionon the other display unit from among the first display unit and thesecond display unit.
 17. The portable ultrasound apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first display unit and the second display unit have a samesize at the portable ultrasound apparatus.
 18. The portable ultrasoundapparatus of claim 1, wherein the first display unit and the seconddisplay unit face each other at the portable ultrasound apparatus. 19.An ultrasound diagnosis method performed by using a portable ultrasoundapparatus comprising at least two probes having differentspecifications, the ultrasound diagnosis method comprising: displayingan ultrasound image on a first display unit, wherein the ultrasoundimage is generated based on ultrasound data received by one of the atleast two probes; and displaying a control screen on a second displayunit, wherein the control screen controls at least one of the ultrasounddata and the ultrasound image.
 20. The ultrasound diagnosis method ofclaim 19, further comprising receiving a touch input by a user via atleast one of the first display unit and the second display unit.
 21. Theultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising rotating anddisplaying the ultrasound image and the control screen, based on anactivated probe from among the at least two probes.
 22. The ultrasounddiagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting at least oneof a position and a size of the ultrasound image and the control screenbased on a user input, and then displaying the ultrasound image and thecontrol screen.
 23. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, whereinthe displaying of the ultrasound image comprises displaying theultrasound image, which is displayed by the first display unit, on thesecond display unit based on a user input of transition of a displayedscreen.
 24. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, wherein thedisplaying of the ultrasound image comprises displaying the controlscreen, which is displayed by the second display unit, on the firstdisplay unit based on a user input of transition of a displayed screen.25. The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, further comprising:receiving a user input of a position on one display unit from among thefirst display unit and the second display unit; and detecting acorresponding position on the other display unit from among the firstdisplay unit and the second display unit.
 26. The ultrasound diagnosismethod of claim 19, wherein the first display unit and the seconddisplay unit have a same size at the portable ultrasound apparatus. 27.The ultrasound diagnosis method of claim 19, wherein the first displayunit and the second display unit face each other at the portableultrasound apparatus.
 28. A portable ultrasound system comprising: atleast two probes having different specifications; a digital beamformerfor focusing an ultrasound signal transmitted or received by each of theat least two probes; a processor for generating ultrasound data based onthe ultrasound signal; an image processing unit for generating anultrasound image based on the ultrasound data; a first display unit fordisplaying the ultrasound image; and a second display unit fordisplaying a control screen so as to control at least one of theultrasound data and the ultrasound image.